Dare Not Forget the Warning
by Jin's Irish Grin
Summary: Kinomi (an OC), finds herself trapped within the clutches of her own fears...within her own dream...and she can't seem to be able to wake up! What is causing her so much greif and pain, that makes her fear the fate of her ancestors more than anything?


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Author's Note – "Post Fictionus":

Due to the continuous cycle of life that whirls me in an out of here (more often than not, out), I have decided to change the story entirely. It will now no longer be a series, but just a short, little one-shot work, as a display of my writing skills back when I first posted this story. HOWEVER…I will be writing a series for Yu Yu Hakusho, and I sincerely hope that it gathers some attention to my works. I am rather busy at this time of year (midterms – who would have guessed?), so, as usual, updating things will be a hassle. I hope to fully transfer myself from Role Play into fan fiction, or, at least, keep a good balance of both.

Yours truly,

J.I.G.

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"Kinomi, where are you going?"

Kinomi paused at the sudden inquiry from her grandmother, Genkai, slowly turning her head to look towards her. Kinomi's normally sparkling and shimmering sea green eyes were dulled from fatigue, and her long, pink hair, which was so long it went down to her ankles, was untidy, despite the fact that she had tied it tightly back into a segmented ponytail, "I'm going to sleep, Grandma. I'm really tired all of a sudden."

Genkai sighed, shaking her head, "It must be that thing you wear around your neck. It's supposed to give you energy, but I think it's taking energy away from you," She noted, speaking in a hushed tone so that she did not disturb the others, who were not far away in the clearing of the forest.

You see, Yusuke, Touya, Jin, Kurama, Hiei, Kieokiena, and Kuwabara were all waiting in the clearing, planning on turning in for the night somewhere soon. All of them had gone through a rough day, within the battles of tournament and out. Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara had recently fought another team on their own, barely managing to defeat them. Jin, Kurama and Touya had been out collecting ingredients to cure Kinomi of a curse inflicted on her the day before, and Genkai had paid a visit to an old, well stocked library to take out a few very important books…and could have possibly lost her head to a giant, mutant creature that looked somewhat like a Doberman, which seemed to dislike anything entering or leaving the library alive.

The curse inflicted had been cured only a few minutes ago with the aid of a mercenary named Naomi, and the hairs of a subspecies of werewolf called a Lycan. It would have turned Kinomi into a servant of the dark, as well as transformed her into a giant, vicious dragon if Yusuke hadn't forced the potion down her throat with his own blood in the mix. Yet, that is not the main focus of the tale…

Kinomi looked down at the inch-long Prysm Crystal piece strung around her neck; it was glowing again. She sighed, remarking, "No…I think we've all just had a hard day. The crystal is merely trying to revive me to normality."

Genkai scoffed, "I would be careful if I were you. That crystal is more than meets the eye."

"Of course it is, Grandma. It's a piece of the legendary Grand Prysm – the force that once saved the universe in the hands of the Tsunami Awakener. I can understand why the Kasui-Kappas even shattered the Crystal into ten thousand pieces, or, so they say."

Genkai stared at her long and hard, a cold, thick silence in the air between them. The silence was broken after one full minute by Genkai, "…You have yet to learn the true secrets of the crystal, Kinomi. One day, you will realize that having that very piece of it is more hazardous to you than you think…" Genkai turned away, walking back towards the clearing, "There's no time to get back to the hotel. We'll have to sleep outside if we are to get any sleep at all."

Kinomi sighed quietly, following Genkai back into the clearing, where the others were waiting almost silently, many with their heads drooping in deep thought, fatigue, or both.

Kuwabara had almost fallen asleep by now, his almost black eyes fluttering open and closed. He put a hand to his carrot-top head, a look of weary discomfort on his face as he muttered, "Can we go to sleep now? Please?"

Hiei, sitting against a tree with his chin inward, glanced towards Kuwabara, red eyes irritated, "We need to find a spot to sleep out of the open, idiot, so that our throats don't get slit in the middle of the night. Of course, in your case, you wouldn't be missed…"

"What was that, hamster legs?!" Kuwabara shouted, suddenly seeming to have much energy once again as he burned with fury.

Kieokiena, the only one not seeming sleepy, laughed at Kuwabara teasingly. She had just arrived and met the group today, having been a childhood friend of Kinomi's oh so long ago. She was rather short, slightly shorter than Hiei, but still taller than Genkai. Her chin-length, light purple hair was strait, and hung right down, gradually loosing length the further back on the head one looked. Her strait, but long bangs were held away by a deep violet band across her forehead, which concealed more than just her brow. She was dressed in a plain, sleeveless shirt, the same color as her band. Around her waist was a light purple sash, and her pants were the same deep violet as her shirt. Kieokiena wore no shoes, nor socks of any kind, so her feet were left bare. She was the more obnoxious type of person, able to easily annoy and frustrate anyone without even trying.

Kuwabara sulked, glaring at her, "Sheesh! Why are you always on his side?!"

Kinomi rolled her eyes without ease, letting lose another heavy sigh at the sight. She glanced towards Jin, hoping to find comfort in a possible smile from him. The two had only known each other for two days, but had already created an amazing, close bond between each other.

Jin looked tired, too, but showed it less than he felt. In an Indian style position he sat in the grass, eyes halfway open as he stared at the ground, almost expressionless. He looked up at Kinomi, then frowned, eyes opening up wider, "M'lass? Is somethin' the matter?"

Kinomi yawned, politely covering her mouth with one pale, delicate hand, "No…I'm just tired, is all. Are you okay, Jin?" She asked with concern.

Jin nodded slowly, smiling dazedly, "I'm alright."

Touya also yawned, closing his eyes as he rocked backwards, almost falling back, for his legs were crossed together as well. "Today was tiring…"

Kurama, one of the few still standing up, nodded in agreement, "Indeed. A very stressful, exciting day, but now we may rest."

Yusuke grumbled, slicking back his raven black hair for the millionth time, "Aw, but shouldn't we find a place to sleep?"

"You're right," Kinomi told him, "Let's all head to the cave. It's cozy enough to sleep in."

Everyone agreed and soon stood, slowly walking towards a cave in the far off distance. Rather than sleeping in the hotel, the Mashotsukai team slept there, upon the stone and dirt, not really minding the inconvenience it may have caused. Yet, now, since most of the team was deceased, it was only Jin and Touya who lingered there.

When they arrived, each person, all except Hiei, took his or her own little spot in the cave to curl up and rest. However, they all slept nearby each other, and very close to the entrance for safety matters. Hiei went off into the night, insisting that he had some business to take care of, and would not sleep there tonight. Kieokiena seemed rather disappointed.

Jin and Kinomi slept on opposite sides of the cave, so not to arouse teasing from Kuwabara, Kieokiena and Yusuke. Yet, oftentimes, as they looked around the cave, their glances would meet, perhaps by chance…perhaps not.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were the first to fall asleep, and Kieokiena soon followed them into slumber. Genkai had closed her eyes long before them, but whether she was really asleep remained a mystery yet. Touya let out one last yawn, fell asleep soon after, and Kurama was the last to shut his eyes and drift into dreams.

As soon as everyone has fallen asleep, which was at least an hour later, Jin opened his eyes, glancing across the cave to Kinomi. He was trying to sleep sitting up against the cave wall, cross-legged, wit his arms limply outstretched across his empty lap.

Kinomi's lower half of her face was in her folded arms, which were laid on the ground in front of her. She lay down strait, and if her eyes hadn't been lightly closed, it would have appeared as though she was quietly watching something in the distance. She let out a soft sigh, and then, as if knowing Jin was looking towards her, she glanced right back at him, her gaze troubled, but soothed just by meeting his own.

The two watched each other for a moment, wanting to come closer to the other, but both were so tired that they deemed it impossible as of now. Jin's ears gently twitched, and he whispered, "G'night, lassie…may ya have…only the sweetest o' dreams…" He told her quietly as he yawned, then closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep any minute.

Kinomi smiled warmly at Jin, whispering back, "Sleep well, dear wind master…May only good spirits come to entertain you in slumber…" She turned her head to the side, resting her cheek on her arms as she watched Jin sleep, ears drooped and 'o' shaped mouth widening and shrinking in a cute manner as he snored very lightly. This caused her to smile wider, and she thought to herself, _He's adorable when he sleeps…not to mention when he's awake – my my! _Kinomi blushed lightly, cheeks slightly aflame as her eyes closed a little, _It's like he's a living dream…_ Kinomi's heart thumped louder as she watched him, but she didn't take heed.

It was all so clear that it was stunning, and she ruminated through the recent addition to her long term memories; The awkward meeting, where she had at first even thought herself to be shallow...but found that she was mistaken. Then the injuries…Yusuke and Jin had both been wounded by a huge collision of energy. Both of them looked so badly battered after that deadly spirit gun/tornado funnel mixture that Kinomi began crying right then and there at the terrible sight. At the sight of those injuries, it triggered the dreadful memories to the horror of her infancy…and how her parents had both been killed by assassins…and died to save their daughter's life. She had wept, crying out loud to herself how horrible such fighting practices as this were, and kept weeping until a mysterious funnel of gentle, translucent wind surrounded her, its light gray wisps speckled with golden, glowing dots that looked somewhat like fireflies. She didn't know what had caused it until she had stopped crying, intrigued by this spectacle around her. As she had touched a single, tiny, golden orb with the tip of a delicate finger, the misty wind began to die down. She had been too puzzled and taken aback to notice Jin's glance upon her during this time, but by the time she looked towards him, he had looked away. Then she remembered, soon after, Jin staggering towards an injured Yusuke, and forfeiting the victory to him. This had shocked everyone, including Yusuke, but Yusuke ending up being the victor only because of it.

After Jin had limped out of the stadium, clutching his wounded, bloody arm, Kinomi felt there was only one thing she could will herself to do now. She had run after him, catching up to him and insisting that she heal his wounds. Jin was quite surprised that she had followed, almost curious as to why, and even appeared puzzled by her kindness as she healed every wound upon his body with care and swiftness. Kinomi thanked him graciously for forfeiting and naming Yusuke the victor, but insisted that he did not have to have done so. Jin thanked her for healing his wounds; also insisting she did not have to heal them. Kinomi replied that she felt it was needed. Soon after, Jin replied that forfeiting is what he felt was needed, and by more than one, in more than one place. Then something quite shocking took place. Jin lifted a single hand, the kindness in his face un-wavered, and Kinomi's feet lifted off the ground…

Kinomi had begun to look around rapidly as he had done this, quite confused, but also amazed. I'm flying? She had questioned herself.

Jin soon smiled at her, 'Go on,' he had said, 'Fly. During the battle, I remember, on the sidelines, ya remarked to a teammate…that ya had always wished you could fly.'

The two of them were soon flying in the air, Kinomi having the time of her life, and Jin watching, feeling a strange satisfaction upon knowing she was happy…and upon hearing her laugh. Later on, he was to admit that her laugh…was the most beautiful sound to ever have crossed his ears…

In due time proceeding this curious, but short event, the two were forced to part, but it was not to the first time they were to meet in such a strange manner…

Ah, so that was the beginning. Their first meeting; only about one day and a half ago. And, already, the two were extremely close. Kinomi smiled, ready to remember all the memories, but soon enough, she fell asleep, and entered a different mood altogether…

Kinomi opened her eyes; it was dark – pitch black, in fact, except for a few lights in the far distance. "How has it gotten so dark?" She asked herself, lifting her head to glance around. Her voice echoed strangely, as though there was a massive amount of empty space about her. She had just figured, from this fact, that she had somehow turned herself around during her sleep, and woke up facing the inner end of the cave, which would, obviously, have been quite near pitch black at that time of night. Kinomi smiled, nodding to herself, and thinking 'Yep, that must be it'.

But her assumption was shattered as she heard distant voices behind her – one man, the voice unfamiliar, and quite a peculiar at that, as though she really did know the person who was speaking. "Huh?"

Kinomi turned herself around, now sitting up, and looked around, putting one foot against the other and with legs in an almost criss-cross style, pulled them closer to herself in anxiousness and nervousness. Rather than seeing any man or creature of mortal quality, she saw only a few distant lights, shining brighter than any visible star lighting the sky. They seemed very far away, and tiny speckles of light had surrounded, although not nearly as bright. One of the lights was extremely bright – all the colors of the rainbow, shaded like pastels come together, and relieving to any weary eye. A great power was coming from this distant star – like a light of hope in the times of greatest darkness. The other light was sharp, but dark, a dark purple, with similarity to a black light. It was radiating with vile energy…yet, was so far away…and it felt like the evil was standing beside her.

"Okay, now, this has begun to creep me out…Is anyone there? G-grandma? Yu…Yusuke? Kuwabara? K-kieokiena? Kurama? T-touya? …J…J-Jin?" She stuttered aloud, hoping that someone would wake up and see what seemed quite bizarre to her, "Is anyone there? Helloooooo? Hello?!" After no answer, she repeated herself louder, glaring around to her side to see why no one was answering with the tone of her now rather loudly raised voice. She found the reason; no one was there.

Kinomi's eyes widened; there was no one there. Only empty, black space. Not even a cave wall was visible. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Genkai, Touya, Kurama, Kieokiena - even Jin – none of them were with her any longer.

Kinomi gulped, wondering if it had been possible for her to have rolled away from the group and deep into the cave while she was sleeping, thus being unable to trace their whereabouts when she re-awoke. No, that wasn't possible, she reminded herself. She was sleeping near the entrance of the cave, and to have rolled deep into it, she would have to roll right over the others, who would have surely woken her up if she tried, because they would have been disturbed of their slumber by her. Sleepwalking, maybe, is what she had done. Yes, that was possible, but crossed out due to the fact that her voice would have echoed loudly into the ears of her friends, and surely, one of them would have been awaken by the sound. Even so, she quickly reminded herself, But, Kinomi…_you don't sleep walk_…

Kinomi grew tense, "Oh no…" She murmured, _Perhaps…perhaps I'm not in the cave any longer…_ Kinomi looked around, finding herself to be surrounded by millions of shining stars – and what a beautiful sky it was! Kinomi admired it, but upon seeing a large planet to her left…a green, white and mostly blue planet…she grew pale. "Is that…?" Yes. It was Earth.

Kinomi looked strait ahead again, pupils growing small, "I'm…I'm in space?!" She blurted out, quite surprised by her conclusion. "But that's impossible! There's no air, nor is there water, to breathe in space!" But another logic got the best of her, _Well, obviously, if you're alive and well, and in space, this must be…_

"A dream!" Kinomi sighed with relief, "Oh…it's only a dream…thank goodness. So that must be why no one else is here!" She told herself, standing up and looking around at the stars, "What beautiful stars…" She murmured to herself as she gazed upon them, for quite a long time, too. Only when the powerful voice of a man echoed to her ears did she look towards the two lights again. She listened to the voice, and what it was saying…it sounded like the two stars were talking in the distance – or, rather, since she could hear one of them faintly, shouting…

"I cannot let you do this, Darkness," The voice of the man from before insisted, shaky and unstable as he spoke, wavering with every word.

Kinomi blinked, then wondered if, somehow, she could get closer to the two stars, to see what was the matter, "I…I cannot hear them well…" She said softly, and then, as though she possessed the ability of flight, lifted herself up and quickly floated towards the two stars. Kinomi blinked, looking down at her feet as they lifted, like in flight – which she had felt only once before, "I can fly without Jin's aid?" Kinomi reminded herself, _Remember – in a dream, you can do anything you wish…have you forgotten? _

"No…I haven't…but, this dream…" Kinomi paused as she progressively grew closer to the two stars far, far in the distance, "It…it seems too real to be just a creation of my mind…"

_Dreams are realistic, _Her thoughts informed her, _You have no need to worry…_

Kinomi clutched the prysm crystal piece at her neck, lathering it with her hand as she nervously nodded, "Yes…no need to worry…the crystal will protect me, if there is danger…just as it has done before…" Kinomi then bit her lip from a pain of heart, remembering that long ago, fateful day, when she was only infant…and how the crystal had kept her life from being taken by the same force that had killed both her parents…

She lingered upon this only until she had found herself much closer to the two stars. She was driven out of this daydream by chanting – chanting in the language so secluded by the passing of time that it had died away, and almost no race, human, demon or other, could speak it and write it. The language is not written in the letters of the English language, but Kinomi understood it – she knew the language, somehow, in that dream, she did…and in English, this is what they said…

"The Dark One has awakened! Tsunami Awakener, you must defeat him! You must! Your race is the only one that can save the universe from peril a second time! You are the hope – the light – the power – the alpha – the omega…this you are now, with the crystal at hand. Be not cowardly, hesitate not to slay, darkness cannot thrive with light, and light with darkness. Vanquish the Darkness, or doom will forever grasp its hold!!!"

Kinomi gasped, "What?!" She snapped her gaze back towards the two stars, floating above the chanting ring of demons below. She looked down towards them again; demons of every different kind, and even a few humans were present. At least one of every creature ever to have existed at that time was in that ring, and the entire race of Kasui-Kappa – the species of the Tsunami Awakener, was at the battlefield. The Kasui-Kappa, peoples that looked as though they were made of water, but shaped as people, and quite solid, wearing garments that shimmered like diamonds, and of many colors. They had their arms raised into the air, crying out to the Tsunami Awakener, and lending their spirit energy for his use…

As she looked back up at the two stars, she saw that they were not actually stars. They were streams of light, all omitting from the two most powerful figures within the universe upon that time.

One was a dark light, but still massive, and piercing to the eye – even more-so closer to it. The rays and mist of dark light and cloud revolved and glowed from a black figure standing upon a dark purple platform, which looked like a floating piece of land. The piece of land was large – larger than a house, and took the basic shape of a cone, though it had a rough, rocky exterior. From the tip came a black light, which was highlighted with piercing white. The light sparked and shifted like electricity, and traveled all the way up to the top of the land, turning purple as it did so, and creating a thin spiral around the figure and the land. There was also a dark, purple mist revolving around the land itself in a wide, but thick ring, as though clinging to the land. But the figure…the creature standing upon this platform of land…looked like nothing but a mere shadow. It's eyes flashed dangerously, and within them, there was a portal to another parallel universe…another place of almost opposite proportion – no, not a parallel universe…a tunnel; a deep, dark tunnel that just kept going…and going…and going. Within the tunnel, unmistakable screams were heard, as the very souls of creatures, innocent or not, were torn to pieces by deadly hands, and evil reigned supreme…

Kinomi shuddered upon looking at those eyes, and she moved her glance immediately to the other star…

The second 'star' was also not really a star, and was quite different from the first. It, too, was a figure that omitted a glow, and was standing upon something as well. The figure was clearly seen, unlike the first, which only appeared as a shadow with perilous eyes. This figure was translucent, and just beginning to shimmer like a sparkling rainbow.

The man was a Kasui-Kappa - he had the features of one – the human-like build included. The elfish, fish fin-like ears; the tall, graceful, magical completion and height, the watery, yet strong demeanor; the fins connecting from one end of each elbow to the other – from the end of the upper arm to the beginning of the lower arm; the webbed toes and almost completely webbed fingers; the long, slim and finned at the tip tail; the fins poking out at the side of the long, narrow neck, and the slim, yet muscular body – Yes, all were there. This was certainly a full-blooded Kasui-Kappa, or, at least, harvested the appearance of one. This Kasui-Kappa had a silver goatee, and messy, silver hair matted on his head in natural waves and curls. His eyes were narrowed and serious – sea green in color. Other than his hair and eyes, which had whites like a normal, human eye, he appeared carved from water, including his fins. His organs were not visible through his skin, however, as one might first think.

Kinomi stared at the man, blinking but once as her gaze never left him. Why did he look so familiar? Kinomi could recognize him from somewhere…but where was he to be recognized? Her attention was soon drawn towards the object this man stood upon – a large crystal, diamond in shape, and sparkling with all the colors of the rainbow.

"The…the Grand Prysm…"

The crystal was indeed large - as large as a house, even, and possibly bigger. Shaped like a diamond, but having the same effect as a prism, this crystal omitted a powerful glow, soft in colors, having the colors constantly change so that the entire rainbow of them would be seen. Like the large piece of land the shadow stood upon, light flared from the point at the bottom and up around the edges, spiraling upwards smoothly. Instead of streams of light, it was shimmering mists that came out from the bottom, like carrying enchanted dust along the streams that twirled upward and around the Prysm. Astonishing power could be felt coming from the Prysm's very aurora, as it glowed with might and Godly energy. If there was air in such deep outer space, and one were to take in a breath, they would find the air to be extremely fresh, pungent, and surging with power that oozed from this crystal.

Kinomi's eyes were stuck upon the Prysm; the jewel that had not been seen in over ten thousand years was here, in front of her eyes! She had to remind herself over and over again that this whole scene was but a dream, and that soon enough; she would awaken, and tell the tale of what she saw.

Yet, Kinomi's fantastic dream, although nearing its end, was about to turn everything upside down…

The man standing upon the Grand Prysm glared on at the shadow, his sharpened gaze sparking with inner fury as he met eyes with the very lord of dark forces, and appeared not afraid, although, deep in his heart, he was quite afraid. Finally, he spoke, "Darkness, the end draws near! You cannot take these lands – not until its protectors have fallen, and fall we shall not!"

As the Tsunami Awakener shouted these words, the mist of energy whipped around him, as though embracing his body, and concealed him in a translucent upward swirl of sparkling, cool zephyrs. He began to glow, his normally shiny, glassy look enhancing, and a hint of pastel rainbow mixing into his skin. His hair and eyes soon submitted to the clear, almost transparent tinge, and soon became like the rest of his body. But his eyes…his eyes decided to go a different route. Although the white of the eye was long gone and turned to a translucent wonder, his irises swirled with the rainbow spectrum, and flashed with increasing energy as his transformation went underway. Soon, he was concealed in the mist, and his silhouette had become a white mass as beams of rainbow energy escaped his body, and his tense arms began to rise upward. The rays of light an energy whisped around him with the speed of lightning, and comets of rainbow energy were more and more frequent as the energy flourished. Both fists hastily clenched, and his elbows shoved back down towards his waist. Then was when the silhouette of white began to fade, revealing the figure it had secreted to everything else…

The Tsunami Awakener's head was bowed; chin pointing down, and flaring gaze blocked by the closed eyelids withholding them. The energy, although still swirling around him just as swiftly, had quieted down as his movement had paused.

It seemed as though the entire universe was watching this transformation– as though every creature had turned its head to the Tsunami Awakener, and eyes were all upon him. Everyone was silent, and the only sound penetrating the deep quiet of the ever-spreading space was the faint whipping sound of twisting energy flow. They all waited patiently, anxiously awaiting the moment when he would look towards the threat before them, and reveal as to whether he could smite it, or not…

Kinomi also watched with eager anticipation, finding her dream to be quite interesting, but of the frightening sort.

Then, ever so slowly, the Tsunami Awakener opened his bright rainbow eyes, lifting his head so that his gaze met that of his opponent's. Taking a strait stand, the Tsunami Awakener softly continued, "I may not be of pure blood, like the rest of my people, but I have the pure spirit which is required to bring you to defeat."

Many of the Kasui-Kappas beneath him all paused, turning to look at each other and soon began to whisper to each other. It appeared that this news has surprised them.

"Not of pure blood?" Kinomi questioned herself, wondering if, then, it was possible, and ever necessary, and secondly, wondering why it seemed to be of such importance. The whispering of the Kasui-Kappas below perplexed Kinomi; was it possible that even they had no knowledge of this news?

"Grandfather!"

The Kasui-Kappas all looked in the direction of the voice, eyes widening with confusion as a young man that looked very similar to the Tsunami Awakener came forth hastily, fists clenched as he looked up above at his father.

Kinomi blinked, turning her head to the side so she could see the new arrival, "Hm?"

The young man appeared only about eighteen years old, even though, in reality, he was approximately one thousand years old. Compared to his Grandfather, the Tsunami Awakener, however, he was rather young, for the Tsunami Awakener was over fifteen thousand years old! He looked just like any other Kasui-Kappa, with the regular features of one, but he had a shorter, thinner tail, and wasn't as tall as the average Kasui-Kappa. The young man, named Tsuka, had wavy, turquoise hair, which was long enough to be tied back in a thin ponytail near the base of his neck. He was an almost full blooded Kasui-Kappa, for almost all of the 'un-pure' blood in him had been 'washed' away by the continuation of the family line, consisting of no other specie than a Kasui-Kappa. Tsuka seemed distressed as he ran forth, pushing his way through the crowd as he tried to come closer towards his Grandfather…

As the young Kasui-Kappa ran to the inner closure of the circle, he snapped his gaze towards his Grandfather, his enchanting sea green eyes watering as he shouted out again, "Grandfather! Have you gone mad? Why do we not let the royal family handle this? It is their duty!"

"Because, Tsuka, my Grandson," the Tsunami Awakener bowed his head, eyes closed, "They have fled from their calling. It may have been their duty whence this began…" the Tsunami Awakener glanced softly to his Grandson, "But now it is mine to bear," This was all the Tsunami Awakener told his last living relative before he looked back towards the Darkness, which, evidently, had begun to grin and cackle with delight…

Tsuka took in a small breath, eyes continuing to water as he clenched both fits even tighter, trying not to let the tears stream from his eyes. Finally, he let the sudden panic loose, shutting his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek and he cried in protest, "GRANDFATHER!!"

The Tsunami Awakener took a step back, his eyes narrowing angrily again as he went into a wide stance, appearing ready to charge as the air around him rippled, the faint sound of rushing water piercing the air…

Kinomi watched the Tsunami Awakener, eyes suddenly beginning to flicker as she realized…that this was no longer a dream…

This was real.

Launching himself forward in a lightning fast stride, Tsunami Awakener ran towards the Darkness, the Grand Prysm always under him, as though the platform for his very feet. Following the Tsunami Awakener was an enormous wave, as well as enough water to equal Earth's supply. The wave must have been many thousands of feet tall, and thousands of feet wide. The great wave roared as it stampeded behind the Tsunami Awakener, glowing of the color spectrum as the Grand Prysm glowed so brightly, it looked like nothing but a white light, almost as bright as the sun.

The Dark One bellowed back, dark energy flowing upwards like thick smoke forced up with incredible amounts of gusting winds. The platform under him dropped, and below them, inside the circle that the spectators had created subconsciously, a deep, dark hole was opened. It spread rapidly, and flashed from an extreme brightness to extreme darkness over and over again, distorting the vision of many onlookers.

Hissing with anger, the Darkness also charged, thick, long swirls of black energy surrounding it, and streams of the deadly display following behind him. He charged with equal speed and force – possibly more than the Tsunami Awakener, but only when they would clash would all be revealed...

Kinomi watched with shock, dismay and panic as the portal to the very throat of hell was opened beneath them, and she was deeply troubled. These people…her people…what would become of them after this battle? They were lending all their energy to the Tsunami Awakener's cause, and the Tsunami Awakener was in the midst of a battle. Could they defeat evil itself? No, they could not. Evil cannot be wiped out forever – Kinomi knew that well. The same goes for good. Who would be the victor of this battle?

Kinomi grew tense as a sudden sensation, fear and pain, grew over her. Recalling the ancient writings, and what the book at the forbidden library had said, she suddenly remembered why this was so familiar.

This was written in the actual history of the Kasui-Kappas! Even more shocking was the conclusion as to whom the tale was written by…

_Recorder Tsuka._

The story was not fictional. Kinomi knew the outcome. She knew what was to happen, and it frightened her down to the very core of her fast, loudly beating heart. Unable to control herself, she bolted forward, hand outstretched as she cried out to the Darkness and the Tsunami Awakener, "No!! Stop!!!"

It was too late, to her dismay.

With an explosive bang, the Tsunami Awakener and the Darkness clashed forces, black and white light knocking against each other as they ignited like hoards of gun powder to a wild fire, setting off a bomb of extreme power that shook the very universe itself.

The rays of energy and shockwave from the blast were incredible. The onlookers were all shaken, and some weaker ones in the front were killed by it. But their troubles had only just begun…

At the bellowing screech of the shockwave, like the loud, reverberating call of a whale in the ocean at maximum volume, Kinomi was stopped in her tracks, forced to hold her ground just so that she would not be blown off into the dark, endless space. "Aghhhh!" Kinomi grumbled, shifting her weight as she fought the great quake of energy rippling the universe around her. Once Kinomi was able to open her eyes and look back towards the two forces, she saw that their energy only grew stronger as they pushed against each other, caught in a stalemate. She knew they would only push until one attacked, or one was weakened, and she knew that the one to weaken first would loose, and fall into the deep, literally shrieking abyss. Yet to this story, she also knew, there was an unexpected twist…

The Tsunami Awakener and the Darkness were once again merely two stars; large lights full of energy, clashing against one another. Energy sparked from one to the other as they tried to weaken each other with seemingly minor blows. Then came the biggest shock of all…

The first clash had only caused the two to crash into each other and then be pulled away, like magnets both of the same energy, naturally sent backward in movement. Yet when they finally thrust their energies forward a second time, this time with their full might, a strange thing happened. One of positive energy, the other negative. Both were the exact opposites in force: light and dark - good and evil - black and white. The moment their energies clashed again, each had sent an energy blast of their full strength towards the other, leaving no shields to protect themselves. This caused the damage to be tremendous.

Both of them were hit with each other's energy at the exact same time.

The explosion was unlike any other, as the wisps of white and black swirling mists mixed together, creating a mild gray that concealed the fighters from sight.

All the creatures watching below had frozen, eyes fixed on the cloud of mist – horrified, shocked, anticipating, and hoping with all their hearts that the only one to emerge from the mist alive would be the great Tsunami Awakener.

Kinomi also watched the cloud in horror, eyes becoming teary as she remembered the words in the story, and repeated them to herself in mind… _"And thus,"_ she recalled in thought, _"Once The Mighty Tsunami Awakener had clashed iron, energy and fist with the Dark One itself for a second time, it was tragically his last…"_

_"Each fell from the mist thereafter, both appearing unconscious – both possibly dead. The mist died away, but the Grand Prysm and the Platform of Hellstone still remained, floating in place, as though none of this was actually happening. Once it was confirmed by a wind demon of the Emerald-North that the Tsunami Awakener was no longer breathing, and appeared as still, stiff and solid as a stone, my people cried out, 'Oh, God! Oh, God!' in horror and sorrow. Many of the women held their children closely, the men held their wives, and the elderly all huddled close together, trying to comfort one another. Even the lone men were crying. Everyone was crying. Every species that has come to witness that terrible day was crying, and not one person went without a tear. I, too, was crying. Oh, what a bitter taste in my mind, and heart, to know my Grandfather to be dead! It was not his burden to bear the after-curse of the Grand Prysm, but he took it as though it was his all along. I shed many tears that day, and I promise you that anyone who had witnessed what I have just described to you here forth will never forget it."_

Kinomi, too, shed tears of her own, beginning to sob as she hardly managed to stay watching the tragic scene. The Tsunami Awakener had made the greatest sacrifice for the universe, and that sacrifice would never be forgotten. For one whom ever uses the Grand Prysm to go into a Prysm form, as folklore stated, if they were to loose the battle they wished to fight, would loose their very soul and become part of the Crystal itself. Some considered this to be the greatest sacrifice of honor among honorable sacrifices, and others considered it a waste. Whatever it truly was supposed to be, the Tsunami Awakener had thrown himself into non-existence for the sake of the universe – the most powerful and selfless act that any mortal or immortal being could perform.

Yet, as the Tsunami Awakener slowly descended downward, garments flowing freely in the gravity-lacking environment, he was as still as stone. His eyes were still open, but he neither breathed, nor moved. Like a statue carved from diamond, he was, shimmering and sparkling as his physical form plummeted towards the deadly portal created earlier, which was still lingering below them.

Kinomi perked up, eyes widening. Oh! She had suddenly remembered - she had forgotten about the portal. Ruminating through her mind and memories of this true story, and what was written of it, she could not remember much about the portal. Something about it, however, made it seem even more dangerous here than anywhere else.

The crying around the circle of creatures slowly died down when a deep howl was heard from the depths of the portal, and the portal rapidly began to widen. An uproar of terror went out as the people fled farther out into the great space, attempting not to fall into the ever-growing portal…but for many, it was too fast in expanding. Screams and shrieks of the unfortunate creatures to plummet into the deadly abyss were heard all around, along with the cries of those still possibly able to get away. Not only were the Darkness and the Tsunami Awakener going to fall into the depths of this portal…but the Darkness intended to take the entire race of Kasui-Kappas with him.

Kinomi gasped, flying forward as she tried to grab a small child about to fall in, but when she reached out and attempted to grab it by the waist, her hands went right through it, and it fell down into the pit, "No!" She cursed at herself, wondering why she could not help any of the people being swallowed by this great chasm. Apparently, the hole only grew wider, and Kinomi flew high up to be out of its clutches.

All hope seemed lost for the Kasui-Kappas, but then the Grand Prysm intervened. Swooping down like a bird of prey towards a doomed rabbit or mouse, it let out strange rays of light that shone upon the Kasui-Kappas, as well as the other species there, singling out each one that it could get in a spotlight, and then suddenly making that creature disappear, out of danger, and away to a safer place, perhaps. One of the few thousands of Kasui-Kappas out of the original number of millions that managed to be salvaged was Tsuka, who has almost fallen in before the Grand Prysm had teleported him home. The others, however, fell to their death, and their undeserved doom.

Soon, every creature that had been looking upon the scene had either fallen down the void, or been rescued by the Grand Prysm, so that no one was left in the space, except for the two once brightly shining 'stars', and the ever-growing portal. Even the Grand Prysm had whisked itself away, and was now out of sight. But Kinomi was still present, and still flying upward out of fear, never daring to gather the courage to look behind her.

Yet, suddenly, she felt a heavy feeling in her feet, as though something were tugging forcefully at her legs – something strong, at that. This surprised Kinomi, as she did not know what was the matter, "Huh?" She glanced around, still trying to fly up, but found to her horror that she no longer had control over her body. Something else did.

Kinomi tried even harder to fly up, but only began to panic further as she descended rather then proceeded upward. "No…no!" Kinomi found herself right above the widening, wailing, endless abyss, and then suddenly she was let go, and found herself no longer able to fly. She dropped like a stone.

Falling, falling, falling - she was falling, and that was all Kinomi could bother to know at that moment. Screaming in pure horror, she flailed around in a motion of frenzy and panic as she desperately tried to find a way to stop falling, even though it felt impossible. She felt so heavy right then, as though gravity were strictly against her, and that it would not let her go back up, which is where she wanted to be. She reached for the Prysm Crystal piece around her neck, and grabbed it, crying out, "Help! Help!! Unlock within me the power to fly again! Unlock within me the power to change direction of forces! Don't just lie there upon my bosom and lie still! Help me!! Unlock SOMETHING!! Please!!!" But the crystal piece did not light up, and nothing was done.

Kinomi held the crystal piece close, watery eyes shedding small teardrops as she shut them almost all the way, whimpering, "Oh, God!! Please relieve me of this nightmare! I beg of you to let me go!!"

Things only seemed to get worse for Kinomi as an abrupt and frightening cackle boomed through the flashing abyss, and grew louder with every guffaw it released. Lightning seemed to flash through the vertical, never ending tunnel she fell through, and large, deep, glowing eyes appeared along its distant walls. They continued to flash on and off, floating closer and closer to her as the laughs began echoing against the cave walls, bombarding her ears and penetrating her brain with the intense, overwhelming sound it created.

Kinomi curled inward, shuttering and whimpering loudly out of pure fear that she no longer had the strength to hide. Like a frightened little child, hopeless and cornered by a ferocious beast that it was no match to, Kinomi trembled, looking up at the eyes that had appeared before her, having to look high up to see them, and having to clear her eyes often to get a lucid view.

She saw the exact same eyes as the Darkness itself had owned, and an evil grin soon flashed to accompany it. It continued to cackle as a huge hand appeared out of nowhere, reaching towards her chest as it hissed in a vile, almost snake-like voice, "It is mine…MINE…THE GRAND PRYSM SHALL BE MINE!!"

The hand lunged at her, strait for the Prysm Crystal piece she was holding, and then a sharp pain went through her chest, as though she had been stabbed from the front of her to her back with a sharp sword, penetrating her lungs in the most painful way. Kinomi couldn't stand it. She shut her eyes tightly, screaming out with pain…

…And she sprung up, screaming like bloody murder, eyes wide and tears streaming from them, "NOOOOO!!!"

"Kinomi!! Easy! Easy!!"

Kinomi looked around franticly, unable to understand where the hand had gone, and why everything was so dim around her, rather than flaming with hellfire, like before, "W-WH-WH-WHA-WHAAAA-" She failed around in sheer terror, eyes wide and close to bulging.

"Hush!" Genkai shook Kinomi gently, holding her still by the upper arms, "Easy…easy…calm down, Kinomi…you're fine…"

Kinomi paused as she ceased to struggle, glancing around as her vision slowly came back to her eyes, and she saw around her familiar faces, all watching her with worry and concern. Kieokiena, Kuwabara, Yusuke, Touya, Kurama, Hiei (although not looking as concerned) – Jin?!

Jin was at the front, sitting right next to Genkai, eyes uneasy and wide, "Kinomi! What 'appened? 'Were havin' a frightfully loud fit in yer sleep, ya were!"

Kinomi, still taking deep breaths from the shock of the sudden transition, looked around at everyone, and then lastly glanced to Jin, eyes lingering upon him. "I…It…I…Oh, my God…" Tears suddenly began pouring from her eyes again and she started to sob uncontrollably, shutting her eyes and gripping the brightly glowing crystal at her bosom. It was glowing a white red.

Genkai's eyes narrowed with suspicion, and she glanced to Kinomi's delicate fingers grasped over the glowing crystal, uneasy with new thoughts. She let go of Kinomi, eyeing her carefully from a slight distance…

Jin's ears twitched slightly, and then drooped just a little as he sighed, eyes softening, "Aye ya…" He edged close to her, then slowly embraced her, "Shhh…Don't cry," He coaxed Kinomi quietly, "T'was just a nightmare. It's over now…don't be frightened…"

Kinomi sniffled as she was cuddled, lower lip quivering childishly at first, but then she whimpered, letting go of the crystal hanging from her neck and hugged Jin back, putting her face against his chest as she quietly continued to sob, although, now, her sobs were more muffled.

Jin tried to smiled just a little, taking one of his hands, which arm was wrapped around Kinomi's back, and stroked her head gently, whispering soothing words to her to try and calm her down.

Kurama, who was kneeling nearby the two, also tried to comfort Kinomi, attempting to assure her that whatever had happened in the dream was not real – that it was only a figment of her imagination, and that it had never really happened.

Kinomi turned her head to the side so that the side of her head now rested against Jin's chest, tears still rolling down her cheeks, but her sobs ceasing. She couldn't believe Kurama. Not after reading a chapter in the history of the Kasui-Kappas. She knew better. She knew that her dream was not a figment of her imagination – that it was real, and that the event had really taken place, exactly the way it was written. What frightened her was the last part of it, when she was falling down the portal, and how the Darkness, somehow, had managed to survive…

…! The Darkness had managed to survive?

Hadn't Tsuka clearly stated that both were dead? BOTH of them had died, right?

No…Kinomi could no longer believe that to be true.

Now taking this dream as a sign, Kinomi reflected upon what it might have said. Good cannot die, and neither can evil. That must be why the Grand Prysm was still existent after the battle had ended. What of the Dark One? Where was he? What happened to him? He was supposed to be the force of all evil! Then Kinomi began to sob once more, this time with fear…

The Darkness was still alive; he had survived…and he was after the Grand Prysm. Yet, why was this? Whatever the reason for his desire for the Grand Prysm was, it was not known to Kinomi. What she knew now was very little, but the little was enough to strike terror into her very soul. If he was after the Grand Prysm, he would have to gather its pieces, which would mean he would have to take the pieces from the creatures that had custody of them. She had one of the pieces, which meant that one day, the Dark One would try to take it from her.

She could not let him do this. If he took her piece of the legendary Prysm, she knew well that death would take her.

* * *


End file.
